Louis Magee: Difference between revisions

{{Use dmy dates|date=AugustJanuary 20132024}}

| name = = Louis Magee

| birth_name = = Aloysius Mary Magee

| image = Louis Magee 1902.jpeg

| birth_placedeath_place = [[DublinDunboyne]], Ireland

| ru_proclubsclubs2 = {{nowrap|[[Bective Rangers]]<br /> = [[London Irish]]}}

| ru_provinceupdate =

| ru_nationalyearsrepyears1 = 1895–1904<br />1896

'''Aloysius Mary "Louis" Magee''' (1 May 1874 – 4 April 1945)<ref>[http://www.scrumespnscrum.com/ireland/rugby/player/1149.html Louis Magee player profile] Scrum.com</ref><ref>[http://www.lionsrugby.com/6012.php?player=19809&includeref=dynamic Louis Magee lions profile] lionsrugby.com</ref> was an Irish [[rugby union]] halfback. Magee played club rugby for [[Bective Rangers]] and [[London Irish]] and played international rugby for [[Ireland national rugby union team|Ireland]] and was part of the [[British and Irish Lions|British Isles team]] in their [[1896 British Lions tour to South Africa|1896 tour of South Africa]].

Magee came from a well known sporting family. His eldest brother [[Joseph Magee]] was also an international rugby player for Ireland, while another brother [[James Magee (sportsman, born 1872)|James]] played [[cricket]] for [[Irish cricket team|Ireland]]. His brother-in-law, [[Tommy Little (rugby union)|Tommy Little]], played rugby for Ireland between 1898 and 1901.<ref name="Godwin44">Godwin (1984), pg 44.</ref> Magee played almost the entirety of his rugby for club team Bective Rangers, as did both his brothers. In 1898, while in London, Magee was approached by newly formed club, London Irish, to play for the first team. When Magee accepted, his presence in the team helped recruit other countrymen to join the exile club, and is seen as a major catalyst in the success of the club.<ref>[http://www.london-irish.com/History.ink London Irish – A Brief History] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090501102322/http://www.london-irish.com/History.ink |date=1 May 2009 }} london-irish.com</ref>

1896 was a turn around in fortunes for Ireland, beating England and [[Wales national rugby union team|Wales]] and drawing 0–0 with [[Scotland national rugby union team|Scotland]], giving Ireland its second Championship in three years. Magee played in all three games of the season making him a Championship winning player. Towards the end of the 1896 season, Magee was approached by [[Johnny Hammond (rugby player)|Johnny Hammond]] to join his British Isles team on their tour of South Africa. Magee accepted, and was joined on the tour by his brother James, who was also a member of Bective Rangers. The tour was notable for the large contingent of Irish players, who had been poorly represented on previous tours. The other Irish players being [[Thomas Crean]], [[Robert Johnston (rugbyVC player and soldierrecipient)|Robert Johnston]], [[Lawrence Bulger|Larry Bulger]], Jim Sealy, [[Andrew Clinch]], [[Arthur Meares]] and Cecil Boyd. Magee played in only fourteen of the 21 arranged games of the tour, but played in four Test games against the [[South Africa national rugby union team|South African national team]]. In the First Test he was partnered at half back with [[Matthew Mullineux]], but for the final three tests he was joined by [[Cambridge University R.U.F.C.|Cambridge University]] player [[Sydney Pyman Bell]].

Magee continued to captain his country over the next two seasons, but he did not experience the same success as in the 1899 campaign. A single draw against Scotland was the best result in [[1900 Home Nations Championship|1900]], and apart from a good win over England in [[1901 Home Nations Championship|1901]] and a strong three-quarters, there was little to celebrate in the Irish results. The [[1902 Home Nations Championship|1902 Championship]] saw Magee lose the captaincy to half back [[John Fulton (rugby playerunion)|John Fulton]]. Ireland lost their opening match against England, but after a win over Scotland, Magee was handed the captain's position for the final encounter, against Wales. Ireland were well-beaten in their biggest home defeat since the start of the Championship competition.<ref name="Godwin67">Godwin (1984), pg 67.</ref>

[[Category:Rugby union players from County Dublin (city)]]